Thursday, June 17, 2010

KUT ran a report this week (audio here) focused on recent layoffs at UTMB's Correctional Managed Care program titled "Paying for Healthcare in Texas Prisons," in which yours truly was quoted declaring “In some ways, it’s a game of chicken because the feds can always come in and do what they did in California and say, you know you can’t scale back that much.”

I find it hard to understand how the agency could let go so many nurses, dentists, and other on the ground personnel and still provide constitutional levels of care. If they do not, I further doubt the Justice Department under Obama/Holder will be nearly as reticent to intervene in Texas as was DOJ under Bush/Gonzales (that is, if the Administration would ever nominate any US Attorneys for Texas).

Slashing medical personnel at prisons forces UTMB to rely even more on telemedicine, but UTMB also laid off thousands of healthcare workers in Galveston after Hurricane Ike, including 124 professors whose firings this week earned them censure from the American Association of University Professors. Those post-Ike layoffs left UTMB overall financially in the black, despite losing money on prison healthcare, but I've never heard anyone adequately explain how UTMB's telemedicine program could still operate after losing so many docs and specialists on the main campus.

It's an open question whether UTMB's scaled back staffing actually meets the terms of their contract with TDCJ, much less surpasses the minimum threshold for providing constitutional levels of care under existing federal court precedents. Rumor has it prison administrators aren't happy with UTMB over the cutbacks, but TDCJ doesn't appear to have a lot of leverage. That said, UTMB's threats to pull out of the contract also ring false. They're a state institution. If the Legislature commands them to perform the services, by God they're going to do it.

So there's a sense in which both sides in the contract dispute can make only empty threats. Unless the feds intervene before then, the ball is basically in the Legislature's court, and I wouldn't expect them to weigh in until their 82nd session next year.

57 comments:

My husband has Lyme's Disease, which is serious when untreated and severe low blood sugar problems, which is treatable through a healthy diet. Neither of these medical problems are being treated. TDCJ will not accept medical information from the free world but refuses to provide adequate medical attention. Cutting medical staff has nothing to do with their decision to ignore his conditions, they ignored them before the cuts. They just don't care and neither does anyone else! I've read many stupid comments on here about doing the crime, doing the time, they don't deserve medical attention, blah, blah, blah. Idiots!

But I do have a question for those who reply sensibly and with a desire to be of assistance. Who can tell me for real about whether trustee camps keep inmates who have skills they want and deny them parole in order to continue using them. I read a older blog from Dec 31, 2007 indicating that to be the case. Who can answer from personal experience or actual knowledge. Please say how you know what you say. Thank you.

You may want to refer to the book "Raped by The State", at Authorhouse.com. Similiar situations where the state ignores and refuses treatment of inmates and in many cases makes the inmates worse than when they arrived for confinement. Hense - Raped by The State.

I agree with your assessment of the TDCJ--UTMB shotgun wedding relationship. Both seem to have a need for each other and I expect the lege will keep the shotgun on both parties to "work something out". I doubt any single extant prison health provider other than UTMB could reasonably take over TDCJ care anyway.

Grits -You asked about telemedicine and how they can continue offering it....... UTMB CMC has mid level providers (one of which is Steve Smock's wife) and Docs on the payroll who provide telemedicine.

UTMB CMC laid off mid level type management positions (AAs),Dental and RNs. UTMB CMC recently sent out notice to the mid levels and docs that they would have to take up the slack when the RNs are let go and help the LVNs. Many providers see this as having to "oversee/monitor" the LVNs. I am sure the nursing board will not be too happy with this......

The following is from an email providers recently received..Due to significant underfunding for this biennium, UTMB CMC has had to implement a reduction in force ( RIF), resulting in the loss of more than 360 of our fellow employees. To avoid a negative impact on quality of care, Unit providers have been spared in this RIF. However, the loss of ancillary staff and other healthcare professionals (especially RN’s) requires that providers “step up to the plate” and provide support to other disciplines – especially to our LVN’s who will no longer always have an RN on site for guidance and assistance

Bottom line, the leaders of UTMB CMC do not care if people are practicing outside of their scope. They do not care if providers do not have the admin support they need.We can not afford to lose any staff, we are already working short handed. As a provider, I am looking elsewhere for employement.

So in essence, we'll end up with a less skilled medical workforce doing things that they really aren't qualified to do, which always results in medical screw ups, which then results in lawsuits, which cost far more to pay off/settle than the salaries would have cost. Well played, TDCJ.

Ok people, get it right. Many of you keep blaming TDCJ, but they are not in the business of providing medical care. They are strictly security. This is all UTMB. They are responsible for the RIF's and responsible for the provision of medical care. This is what they are paid to do. I'm with 05:32, I can't wait to see what the BON thinks of the position UTMB is putting the LVN's in. Evidently, they don't care about scope of practice.

Someone called our unit medical and asked them how many staff members would they need if we were at maximum capacity? This is after they gave notice to 3 medical staff - 1 with over 15 years at our unit.

This occurred last week, so someone at UTMB has probably been considering this constitutional level of health care already.

Annie, I don't know how it is possible to prove such a thing. I have a 70 year old friend that has served 23 years of a 30 year sentence for shooting and killing a man who was beating him in the head with a gun. Police officers took him to emergency to have his wounds sewn up and charged him with murder.He has never has a case against him, is months away from receiving a double college degree and was a trustee at the unit until such titles were taken away and everyone was put back in with the rest. He has been eligible for parole since 96 but he is also over electrical and plumbing for that facility and is on call 24 hours a day. Both knees need replaced but I don't know if he even attempts medical care since he would not have surgery inside. But we have a model prisoner that has paid for his own schooling the entire time he has been in prison, has trained a crew and saved large amounts of money for the facility over more than 2 decades. He has spent all of his time at one facility and I don't think they will let him go easily. The next parole hearing is about a year away and he will have an attorney that is experienced in parole release. Does anyone know of one near the Navasota area?

Thanks Angee for your experience. Does an inmate have a choice whether or not they are sent to a trustee's camp? If sent there, can they transfer out? Isn't it sad that these questions are even being asked?

Annie, I know absolutely nothing about trustee camps or how one gets in or not. Recently we had an article here about trustees walking to Walmart to buy cigarettes and then returning to the unit. Until then I thought trustees were scattered throughout the system. TDCJ must trust them more than Parole does.

I agree with you. This is not TDCJ laying off employees, it is all UTMB.

@R.Shackleford - that is exactly what it means. LVNs will be underpaid , over worked and practicing outside of their scope. It is not the job of providers to monitor LVNs.

@ 6/18/2010 09:22:00 AM - I am not sure who called your unit and asked how many employees were needed in medical if you were at maximum occupancy, but about 2 yearsTDCJ spent tons of money on consultants to come in and determine how many staff was needed to effectively run the units. It would have added 800 additional jobs just in medical alone. The legislator thought it was not necessary. NOW instead of adding 800 jobs, UTMB is cutting right at 400 jobs.

OK Iknow i'm not on the stream, but it happened. My husband was sent to a trustee camp W-6 Chasefield Center. There is no information online about it but the address. What can anybody tell me about it?

I know I can call but where else can I find information about this place?

Prior to the start of the UTMB pillage back in 1996, TDCJ called the shots. Under TDCJ, health care was more compartmentalized since there were separate departments for Psychiatry, Psychology, Social Work, Dentistry, etc. And, there was medical autonomy which occurred as a function of the Ruiz lawsuit. During this period in time, universities were hurting for funds. So, UTMB, like any opportunistic psychopath, offered their services. And, TDCJ bought them. Yes, UTMB had a cash cow. UTMB could deliver the worst medical care and not receive little protest from Joe Public. I believe they knew they could get by with substandard medical care. Initially, they knew that this reduction in care would have to be a gradual process. Joe Public frequently stated that offenders received better medical care. And, this was partially true for some people.

The first split between the two agencies occurred after the head man, Little Leon, put #30 million profit into his own pocket. Oink, oink, oink. But, he did not know the game or did not care about playing it. Reportedly, he was supposed to have returned this money to TDCJ or to the state of Texas. Things started getting rough after this happened.

The second split between these two mutant agencies occurred years later when UTMB managed to slither from beneath Ruiz. TDJC was still under the Ruiz gun with their Administrative Segregation situation. And, the stripping of services, ever so gradually, occurred after the initial pillage in 1996. UTMB did not know much about adult corrections. So, they winged it. For instance, instead of buying medical software for electronic charting, they bought a system and forced it to work. What a joke. At one point, they attempted to operate the software without the support of the company who owned it. They let the contract go. Employees in the bottom of the Viking ship soon realized that they were not going away. So, when people ask about the whether medical care is "constitutional", I want to laugh. Please, are you that stupid? The Texas legislature changed the laws concerning "frivolous lawsuits." Under these new rules, even Ruiz would have drowned. And, I don't think UTMB fully realized the cost of treating aging psychopaths who had wrecked their bodies. They whined to the legislature to no avail. Now, they want out? Oddly enough, some of these budget shortfalls have been blamed on hurricane Ike. So, the prevarication continues. You see, UTMB has attempted to market their bare bones medical treatment for other populations: indigent care in Fort Bend County; medical care in Saudi Arabia, etc. They were so full of themselves. Now, they are attempting to pay the Piper in counterfeit bills.

Now, I want to comment about the family member whose spouse has Lyme's disease. It does not take a great deal of intelligence to understand that prison is not an optimal environment for treating Lyme's disease. So, please tell me, why did your spouse break the law & put himself in medical jeopardy? I don't have much sympathy either. "You play, you pay." Yes, TDCJ does "red tag" folks, but this has nothing to do with the parole process. The parole and institutional division of TDCJ don't work well together. I am reminded of a three-legged donkey running across a burning tightrope.

While I am thinking of it, I am going to suggest a read for those who don't understand the mind of a psychopath. Please, read this one.http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Criminal-Mind-Revised-Updated/dp/140004619X When I've been asked about offenders being the "victims of society" I've wanted to retch. Some offenders are the "victimizers of society." SOTP uses the criminal thinking error approach for treating pedophiles despite the fact that Stanton Samenow, Ph.D. clearly stated that this method did not work with this population. I know this because I heard his comments at a seminar in Houston several years ago. SOTP was sitting in the audience when I asked this question. Did they hear what he said? No, it flew over the tops of their pin heads.

“I know this because I heard his comments at a seminar in Houston several years ago.” One individual stating his personal beliefs convinced you of “the truth”? How about some valid and unbiased studies like the DOJ and Human Rights Watch? Did this man explain why all of our laws are based on stranger abduction, rape and murder when these cases make up less than ½ of 1% of incidents? And in such cases there is no flood of new laws pertaining to the murder but there is always more sex offender laws. One would think our society puts a higher price on honor than on life.As a survivor of child sexual abuse I have to carry it through life because I get slapped in the face with it daily. I am told by the media and many individuals that I am an emotional cripple. Public opinion would have preferred that I had been murdered as well since I am a non-person but I will not lie down and die to suit your fancy.You want revenge but you will not use me and thousands of other children to get it. These are children that you don’t give a damn about. These are children that are locked into environments of abuse because the alternative is too costly. It is better to be abused in one’s own home than in a foster home.Debbie Riddle says that those who aren’t willing to give up a loved one for 20 years deserve what they get. Maybe she is right. We get to walk away from all of it in a few years without the stigma and a 20 year sentence that is actually a life-time sentence thanks to vigilant citizens such as you.The laws are about the harshest punishment possible for offenders. If it ever becomes about the children there will huge changes that include forgiving, kindness and helping children find closure and a new beginning. We will not be used as political fodder and an excuse to hate. That is as far from a solution as one can get. But you spend your life hating and I will spend my life to help in healing. You have numbers on your side but I have children I can actually point to and know that I have made their lives better.Nobody grows up wanting to be a sex offender and there are some that can’t be changed. Unlike you I don’t think prison is the solution for every problem. Annie’s husband is probably in prison because he screwed up and got caught. Perfection doesn’t exist in the human race but inability to take personal responsibility and the need for scapegoats to look down on is running rampant. All of this is taking place in a nation that is screaming for a return to the Constitution but has no concept of equal rights. Your screen name is appropriate for the killing of America.

My husband's parole was revoked on a dismissed misdemeanor. He was trying to prevent his 16 year old daughter from continuing to be sexually abused and exploited by her 18 year old cousing and her 26 year old boyfriend, who were giving his daughter drugs, alcohol and taking pornographic pictures of her and themselves.

His parole hearing was February 14. The parole hearing officer was mad because she missed her 8 year old daughter's Valentine's Day party. Did she care about what had been done to my husband's daughter. No, she didn't. She called the pornographic pictures "party pictures", said that my husband was "upset because his daughter was dating boys to old for her".

Angee, also as a survivor of sexual abuse, I would not wish that on any child; having said that, I hope that parole hearing office's daughter, now 16, is making her mother's life a "living hell".

DeathBreath: Put your head in a paper bag and breathe deeply. Some people are stupid and others open their mouth and everybody knows it.

First of all, TDCJ does not provide the medical care for inmates. UTMB does this. Secondly, UTMB providers send off for free world medical records ALL THE TIME. Neither the inmate nor his/her family may bring in records on their own. Records must come directly from the hospital, MD office or whatever facility has the necessary medical information. Medical records personnel on each unit has the inmate sign a release of information form and the inmate gives the medical records person the name, facility, and if possible, the address from where records may be released. Unfortunately, inmates will tell their families things that are not true, to get family sympathy, which in turn keeps families upset and angry.You may call the Director of Nursing on any unit and that person will tell you free world medical records can and are ordered by the providers all the time, when they are needed.

5:07 I did talk to the Director of Nursing on the unit he was on at the time. That's where I got my information. I even offered to pay for the prescibed treatments myself and have all medications sent directly to him from the companies that manufactured them. They refused to allow him to be treated by the methods he was receiving prior to being returned to TDCJ and, they themselves have yet to offer any treatment for either problem.

Do some actually care? Let them stand up and identify themselves and force change by exposing the lack of the "constitutional level of healthcare" that our tax dollars are paying for. Stop being a "team player".

That term is from a book, "Raped by the State", that was recommended to me on this post. That's what it calls those of you who are working for TDCJ or UTMB and justifying their negligence. Try exposing them and see if they don't cut you off at the knees. But of course, you already know that, don't you? That's why you're "team players"!

Does UTMB obtain such records or maybe a unit doctor? Who is in charge of medical records for inmates? Who gathers the info on former treatment providers, gets a release from an inmate and actually puts a file together for someone to read and follow up on? Someone that really cares is limited to giving shoddy treatment. I am grateful for the nurses I have encountered that battle the odds on a daily basis. I have helped check out many medical complaints and have never come across a doctor that seems to give a damn. Maybe they did once. Those inside should be exposing the horrors that take place on a daily basis.

Those of you who are quick to condemn all the providers/nurses in the UTMB system.......have you worked in the facilities yourselves? You have no idea what hoops the providers jump through to get healthcare for the inmates. They meet obstacle after obstacle. There are many who fight to get the proper care for an inmate and don't stop until the healthcare is given or they are blatantly told by superiors to cease and desist.Lumping all the providers/nurses into a basket labelled "BAD", is like labelling all teenagers "BAD". What's the old saying.....don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his mocassins.Granted, not all providers care, it's the same in the free world....but the ones who do continue to plug right along fighting for the patients/inmates rights.

Has anyone thought of this..........if you don't like prison healthcare, food, facilities....don't commit a crime and be sent to prison. Why is your husband in prison? Obviously not because he made good choices.

To 12:41 WOW. "if you don't like prison healthcare, food, facilities....don't commit a crime and be sent to prison." How original!!!! I am so impressed. Undoubtedly, YOU and every other DA out there has thought of that!

To 12:30 I do believe some care! Unfortunately, TDCJ just won't tell me who there are so I can make a reservation for my husband to run on over there and see him. Darn!

However, look at what you just said "You have no idea what hoops the providers jump through....obstacle after obstacle..many fight to get the propert care for an inmate.....OR ARE BLATANTLY TOLD BY SUPERIORS TO CEASE AND DESIST....." You just proved our point!!! WHO ARE THOSE SUPERIORS??? Blow the whistle on them. Or don't whine because you're lumped in the same cowpile as the rest!

In the free world, if we get lousy healthcare, we switch providers. Inmates don't have that option, do they?

09:02,A provider must order free world records to be requested. This order is placed in the chart and usually says "request fwr re: kidney stones" (for example). The medical records clerks then call the offender in, gather all information like Dr./Clinic/Hospital/ER/Date range/etc. A release of information is signed, copied and mailed off. Once records are received back, they are scanned into the electronic medical record and emailed to the provider for review. These are then viewable by any provider at any unit during any medical visit during any incarceration. Records are requested ALL THE TIME!

Ironically, I have insurance provided for by the state. A) I have to pay $30-$40 a visit. B) I have two doctors to "switch" to/from. C) I have to pay $10-$20. PER prescription (after I meet a $100. deductible.

WTF? This article is about good, hard working, honest people being laid off from their jobs! How did it get turned into another inmate sob story?! If you want your loved one/family member to get adequate care, stop bitching about how they have it so rough and do more to advocate to keep the staff! Each employee cut makes it harder and harder to properly care for the patients. UTMB just RIF'ed 363 people and more are to follow...if you think it's bad now, just wait!

As a UTMB employee AMEN to the above comment. Care is going to be hard to access once this RIF takes place. How does one expect to get dental care when most of dental got slashed..How about when the LVN's get sick or need vacation time?? who then?

What is "Constitutional HealthCare"? Is it beyond that which people in the "FreeWorld" have? Yes it is! In other words it is "Entitled/Mandated HealthCare". Prisoners know this, and they are going to be sure that it is delivered to them. Case in point, look at Medicaid in the FreeWorld. The rates are going to go down, so more and more Doctors are not going to take Medicaid and/or only be selective to the types of Patients they do take. But a Prisoner's expectation is that they will have the abosolute best "quality of care" and if they do not get "what they expect" they are going to go after the Provider responsible. This happens everyday. So the Poor/Working Poor are SOL. Another case in point. A 25 year old black male that has abused drugs (Meth, Crack, etc) is now with COPD and a weak heart, soon to be discharged from TDCJ. In reality he might want to stay in Prison so he can still get adequate HealtCare.

And just one more comment ref the UTMB RIF: while all the RNs in TDCJ are transferred or RIFed, TYC (even though with declining population) are untouched. For example at a TYC Unit (will not name now) has 10 (yes-ten) RNs for a Patient poulation of about 250 teenagers. Where is the justice here within the same UTMB/Correctional Managed Care?

Are you serious? Elected Officials are not incarating People. People commiting "crimes against Society" and the Justice System are incarcerating People. In fact, my "elected official" Joe Barton thought that Obama was performing "a 20 billion dollar shakedown on BP", forget about anything else related to that situation. But seriously, elected officials, please!

10:57, I'm dead serious. Watch the legislative process. They're making decisions about who to incarcerate for what and how long all the time. Incarceration levels are about 25% a function of crime rates and about 75% a function of policy decisions, which is why incarceration continued to increase long after crime levels dropped from historic levels 20 years ago. We're an anomaly among other countries - the US has 5% of the world's population and 25% of its prisoners - and it's because of policy decisions by elected officials, not because we have so much more crime than everybody else.

Well, I will admit I do not know alot about the Criminal Justice System. My comments are specifically about UTMB/CMC and what should properly be called Prison HealthCare, especially in this New Age of HealthCare Reform. If you do not terribly mind (and I mean this sincerely) I would love to comment about Prison HealthCare. Maybe you might even know of a better "blog" to make comment on. I hear from People in this area (East Texas) that your "blog" can be "interesting" at times reference UTMB.

Im hearing today that the the UT Board of Regents have forced UTMB to reverse the July 21st RIF??? Any truth to this??????? What? An "Oooops, we were just kidding"!!!! Sorry about all the upheavel this may have caused. Sounds like lawsuit city and yet another way to screw people out of unemployment as well?????????? Know anything about this Grits? Lots of nervous people want to know!

I know that UTMB (more correctly CMC) has done it before. It could likely be a "scare tactic" to the LEGE, that is to stay "well who else can do it" (ie take care of a failing Prison HealthCare System). A "Conspiracy Theorist" might say that they are doing all of this on purpose to slowly grind Prison HealthCare below "Constitutional Standards" (whatever that is). That whole concept needs to be redefined and not by TDCJ Health Services or UTMB/CMC because the "Enterprise" is being run by a "handfull" of "well paid" Depotist.

The latest from our "CMC Leaders" (can you name them)that "Security" can no longer use the "Million Dollar DMS Equipment" to present Patients to the (most correctly termed) "RN after hours HUB"; and Security can call Providers at Home when they are on Call (or not) to present Patients. Now this edict was dictated by the "Dictator" TDCJ Health Services and CMC Leaders "fell in step". You might wonder who the "TDCJ Dictators" are, they are - Dr Lannette Lithicum, Dr Robert Williams and Mr Crippen. But the worse part about this is that the Senior Leadership of CMC (can you name them yet)"wagged their tails behind them" and let it happen. Now who are "they" - Dr Owen "Oh Boy" Murray, Dr Charles "Danny Boy" Adams, Dr Glenda (though she might likely have been the only dissenting opinion), Mary "Golden Girl" or just "Gotcha" Gotcher, Gary "Good Guy" Eubanks, Steve "Slick" Smock and Tony "Tiny" Williams, and John "Little Dog" Pulvino. They are the ones that are making these decisions about RIFs, Staffing, Procedures, Nursing Protocols, Access to Care (ATC) (ie Inmate drops Sick Call, Inmate gets seen within 24-48 hrs, no matter what the complaint is or was, never heard of that in the FreeWorld, have you?: and they can still get in the Clinic near anytime they want by saying-- CHEST PAIN!), Chronic Care, Annual Physical Exams on everyone over 50 yrs old, etc. Oh, the new "focus" is ATC now takes a back seat to Chronic Care and Annual PEs; whoops, no one told the Inmate, let alone the TDCJ Dictators (or did they, doubt it). Check it out Lannimous!

Well shiver me timbers! CMC has just added back the "Million Dollar DMS Equipment" for the "RN after hour HUB" that Security can use again - go figure. An email was sent out at 9AM today that put the DMS equipment back into action. It was most likely some miscommunication between the Despotist (spelling corrected from last comment - for definition) as opposed to anythng else. Our District Director is such a great Communicator the way he forwards all the emails he gets - otherwise you do not much here from him.

Almost forgot - also (related to the comment dated 7/15 at 2:16 PM, not me) CMC has put out a notice with a weekend deadline (must be in by Monday AM) that they have put out 30 brand new RN slots (supposedly in very critical areas) that must be filled immediately. OMG! Is this how a UTMB "appendage" operates (ie CMC is an "appendage" of UTMB)? In fact, I think Dr Callendar, President UTMB, likely thinks of CMC as an "appendage" as opposed to a "full fledged division" and I really do not blame him. CMC has a long history of "knee jerk reactions" to "unexpected crisis", and I have told you who those Despotist are; To include Lannemous (ie Lannette Lithicum).

So today the latest is that UTMB has rescinded some more of their RIF. The word I heard from the Dental People is that the Dentist are being brought back. The RIF was to take place this week on Wednesday. Well someone must have blinked. Interestingly also, a top CMC Leader, ie Mary "Gotcha" Gotcher, has been working at Coffield as a Provider for several days last week. Wonder what is up with that, when she used to be such a "Golden Girl" and she was also even on CMC "Executive Committee". Hmm, interesting!

Today UTMB CMC provides information for all those to be RIFed tomorrow. And the Units will now go to provide only for 12 hour coverage. The Services provided under "Constitutional HealthCare" are being redefined.

You know Grits, you really might like to talk more about just what the heck is "Constitutional HealthCare". And in doing that you might want to ask CMC what "Access to Care" (ATC) means. And while you are at it why don't you ask CMC how much time, energy and resources are used at the Unit level to ensure ATC is met. Also who are those responsible for defining ATC as something that has been defined for over a decade as "Constitutional HealthCare". And once you get a responce from UTMB CMC and publish the comments I will tell you the rest of the Story from the "Trenches".

Dental (not just dentISTS but the hygienests) were UNrifted. But not the RN's, CMA's Admin Associates, etc...WTF? So they opened up 30-RN positions down south, and...? Our RN's here in Gatesville, just got told they're moving to another unit, with different shifts/hours, or else. So, it's like "you get to keep your job...as long as you move to where we tell you to..."

Good riddance UTMB CMC. You did me a favor by handing me my pink slip. I no longer have to deal with all of the idiot so called Senior and District leaders who only care about themselves. No longer will I have to watch you stab each other in the back ,party and drink at conferences,walk around like you are demi gods.

Good for you, now expose their names and behaviors to the public and make them accountable. Expose them. Embarrass them. You are not they only one harmed by them. They are not doing what they are being paid to do! See to it that they get their "pink slips" too.

I completely agree. Somehow I think you will gain a lot of additional help from others who shared the same experience. You can be the one that gets the ball rolling.Give your info to Grits and let him feature it and give it wings.

I was a UTMB CMC nurse LVN. I quit because of freezes in raises, hiring freezes and knew something was fixing to go down. I was already disgruntled about some things. Was there for 2 yrs and had intended on retiring from there.With all the cutback I can assure you quality of care will be affected. We already had gone without an RN on site for some time. They were available by phone.Assistan nurse mgrs were layed off also putting more workload on the nurse managers. They've made some full time positions part time now and pretty much cut their staff in half.I was doing 3x's the work than the other nurses, was also CID nurse which you don't get paid extra for.Complaints about other staff not doing their job properly were not addressed. It's hard to pass meds when the person in charge or taking inventory and ordering stock meds doesn't do it and the meds are not available.

It's hard to work on CID when you have fight physicals, PHD physicals, ER's, walk in's and the other nurse working with you is nowhere to be found.

All in all I have to say I felt the offenders got pretty good health care. You have to realize often these people have lived hard lives and abused their bodies or out of lack of education or healthcare in the freeworld are a mess physically. I didn't allways agree or understand some of the procedures HG approved and some they didn't approve.It will be interesting to see what happens, if someone else gets the contract, if dept. of justice comes in and forces them to increase the staff ratio.Just my opinion.Nurse

Concerning UTMB/CMC cutbacks.As of today I know of two units.1 unit which has 600 inmates has only ONE LVN working the whole weekend by herself and possibly a med aide if she's lucky. Another unit of a population of 1300 has TWO LVN's and a med aide for the whole unit!!!!!!!

Somebody call the Texas Rangers, the governer or somebody. I'm calling somebody just don't who yet.

You know this is all well and good until something happens such as an emergency. Yep, they can call an RN from a hub unit which is 60 miles away.

When you figure out who to call that actually cares, please be sure to post it. I wrote the governor. My letter was deflected to Rissie Owens and I was told that he defers to TDCJ and what they decide. Obviously, he takes no responsibility for what they are doing to inmates. Call the Texas Rangers, the FBI. None of them responded either. The truth is: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. None of these agencies represent truth, justice or what used to be the American Way anymore. The whole system is either corrupt or just don't care.

And just so you know, when you blog on this site, you receive Trojans that attack your site. I exposed the mistreatement of an inmate and received 5 trojans back to back within 24 hours. Make sure your system is well protected. Even then, beware before you blog any way other than anonymously, and yet still, either way, they will come after you. All in the name of their version of "justice". After all, they can lie, cheat, do drugs to set people up, beat people without justification, anything they want to get their "criminal". Nothing is too dirty for them, nor is it illegal when they do it.

Even my email is corrupted. They somehow managed to erase all my emails between myself and another who was providing me with extremely helpful information on who to call and what to do. Since that time, this email address is attached to some name, other than mine. So, I figure, their monitoring everything I write. As a matter a fact. I can't comment directly to the Grit for Breakfast straight from their blog site because my computer warns me against it. So, I'm going to try a direct response to someone else's comment. If it goes through, let it be a warning to everyone out there and especially Grits for Breakfast. People who respond to the issues you post are at risk personally. And nobody cares enough to do a thing about it.

What should people be reporting? And unless you identify yourself and present facts nobody is going to take the comments of an anonymous poster seriously. Neither will any state agency. You might do some good if you were to openly fight for what you believe in. And do you know how to keep from being targeted? Spread your information far and wide.Make it public with a real identity. Your enemies seem to know who you are. You have set yourself up for being targeted.

And here is my response back to her, not anonymously:

I am the first blog on this article. annie. Now I'm an email called annie gennacaro. I didn't set up this name. Have you noticed that my blog that you responded to is not listed in that article. That's because I am blocked from commenting. And not by grits for breakfast. I'm surprised you got it. My husband's lymes disease is worsening. He is a S-2 minimum out trustee, no threat to society, is a professional builder who contributed jobs and asset to our community, but as of Friday, the decision was made to keep him. They'd rather keep him in prison and the public pay his room and board than let him out and admit if it had been for a pathetic parole hearing officer's biased report, his parole probably would not have been revoked in the first place. They do not admit or correct their mistakes. He just received "prescription glasses". $1.99 probably and the bifocals started at the inside of the eyes to the center. In other words, they're cross eyed. Looks like Buddy Holly's - only I guarantee Holly's cost more than $1.99. That's just one example of the medical care inmates get, when they get any at all. He has received no medical attention for the lyme's, although they were made aware of his condition when he re-entered TDCJ.

I appreciate your response. You've had good responses to my blogs. You care. Most are just on here to gripe. I'm not. I've blogged the truth of several situations simply to make it known. I even had a cop impersonate another person who is a friend of mine to discredit what I was saying, because I exposed him. That's when I received the trojans and now can't blog out. I blogged about another person who refused to plea. Now, his only supporter, his sister, died Aug 2 and his own attorney, court appointed of course, told him they aren't even going to let his case come up for trial because he passed 2 polygraph tests and have eye witnesses willing to testify for him.

Read today's Grits for Breakfast about Anthony Graves. LOTS of people are in prison or jail because of corrupt DA's, cops and a host of dirty attorney's who even though they are defense attorney's are best friends with the DA and help force plea bargains, instead of protecting the consitutional rights of their clients. So, how does anyone get justice? How many years are people supposed to rot in jail. For every one good elected official, how many corrupt, disgusting officials are elected? Why the corruption? Because their hand's in the cookie jar!

Southern, daily and good for you

Grits for Breakfast looks at the Texas criminal justice system, with a little politics and whatever
else suits the author's fancy thrown in. All opinions are my own. The facts belong to everybody. Who is this guy?

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